Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo, the President of Somalia, addresses guests during a dinner party in Mogadishu, Somalia on 1 July 2018. The supper party took place at the Villa Somalia to honour the Somali National Independence Day. AMISOM Photo / Omar Abdisalan
historically it’s been agreed that medina charter stands both as the first and the oldest constitutional document in which prophet Mohamed (scw) constructed after his Hijrah with the Jews clans of medina in AD 622. however, since that day and even after the formation of modern state systems, constitutions stand as an important and a fundamental feature which distinguishes the societies into two groups. one that respects and obeys the rule of law, and another one ruled by dictators.
despite Somalia has been in a state of chaos for almost three decades, one thing has always been the top priority of every administration or in other word an endured legacy. Free and fair elections, even if takes to compromise certain rights of the federal powers, including proposing on workable electoral model that is suitable, acceptable and most importantly a model which enjoys the support of the relevant stakeholders. However, since the administration of president Farmaajo come into the power, that culture has no longer exists and the country’s political scene went far beyond from the consciences building approach and inclusiveness to the hands of nationalist individuals who known themselves as the true guardians of the people’s victory in February 2017.
However, a simple delay let alone of unconstitutional extension of Somalia’s timely elections would not assume probably less danger than a big shake of Mogadishu’s relative peace as it is the only place in which both opposition parties and the government itself has a same proportional power to provoke each other. at anyhow, to predict such worse things to happen soon is not a miracle. but, rather it’s also an ironic that this is going to happen under a president who once fled the country at the expense of another dictator, and lived so long for a country where elections not only matter but also regarded as an absolute constitutional right.
In fact, currently Somalia cannot take the measure of unprecedented constitutional crises, which challenges the fragility of its political and security trends. And that’s eloquently what the current government is working on. In doing so, to avoid such disaster the government must fully engage all the necessary actors to re-engineer a possible way-out before the end of the president’s mandate in 9-month time.
The author Abdifatah Ali Googe is currently pursuing master of security and strategic studies at university Utara Malaysia and can be reached via email: Ftx.googe@gmail.com
